When it comes to muscle building and ‘anabolic’ aids, there are a lot of gimmicks and snake oil products floating around. From supposed testosterone enhancers to mass gainers, you only have to have a quick scroll on social media or enter your local health food or supplement store to be confronted with dozens of products, each promising drastic effects so far as enhancing your ability to put on size.
The question is, amidst a sea of possibilities, which ones actually work? In this article, you’ll learn about the only supplements that have a solid scientific evidence base behind them.
Creatine
Creatine is one of the most widely researched sports supplements in the world, and so at this point, there’s a crystal clear evidence base supporting its efficacy.
The substance is naturally found in small amounts in the human body, as well as in meat. Creatine works by essentially restoring the body’s natural phosphocreatine stores so that a person can get a few extra reps in during a hard set. It’s typically consumed using a loading phase whereby the user consumes 20 grams daily for a week, which is then followed by a maintenance dose of 5 grams per day.
Protein Supplements
While it’s true that protein supplements don’t offer any dietary benefits compared to protein-dense foods, they’re still a convenient and high-quality source. For example, whey protein, which is a derivative of milk, is one of the highest quality sources of protein available, and although you’ll pay more outright, it’s actually cheaper than most foods gram for gram.
Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)
BCAA supplements are a powdered form of the three branch-chain amino acids (Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine). As three of the nine essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein the body cannot make by itself) BCAAs are considered highly anabolic, and they play a significant role in muscle metabolism.
Leucine in particular is one of the most important amino acids for muscle growth – it’s thought to flip the switch for the entire process. For this reason, you can also use BCAAs to augment meals that have lower overall protein (and, therefore, lower Leucine content) simply by adding a scoop. This can be achieved either by adding the powder directly to your food (such as mixing it into oats) or consuming it separately as a drink.
Wrapping Up
The above three anabolic aids are the most widely recognized muscle-building products available, and they’re just about the only ones that work (that are legal, of course).
That said, there’s still a lot of interesting research going on at the moment, so who knows what revelations will come in the next few years. One controversial topic is Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs), which are sold for research purposes (not for consumption) on Science.bio liquids page. They’re not FDA-approved and cannot legally be sold as a supplement or drug, but research continues given their apparent ability to selectively target the muscle cells for growth and treat a range of conditions.
We don’t know what the future will hold and what new products may be approved at a later date, but with protein powder, creatine, and BCAAs, you should be good to go for now!